New Liquid Aspirin Found To Be Ten Times More Effective In Killing Cancer Cells Than Chemotherapy

A breakthrough research recently revealed that a soluble liquid aspirin has been developed. Experts say the liquid aspirin can make its way into the brain and attack brain tumors without having negative effects on healthy brain tissue.

Every year, over 16,000 people are diagnosed with a brain tumor in Britain, and campaigners have been saying that patients are allocated 1 percent of the National Cancer Research budget. There are less than 20 percent of patients with brain cancer survive for over five years, compared to the 87 percent survival rate of breast cancer, and 98 percent survival rate of testicular cancer.

According to Mail Online, a normal treatment involves removal of the tumor (if possible), radiotherapy, followed by chemotherapy. However, the latter is not usually effective because the drug used is given using a drip, making it hard for the medication to reach the tumor. Brain cells are separated from the blood supply by a blood-brain barrier, which is a membrane that divides blood cells from brain fluid.

Scientists from the Brain Tumor Research Center at the University of Portsmouth in the United Kingdom have collaborated with Innovate Pharmaceuticals to develop a formulation they simply dubbed 'IP1867B', which they described as a 'Trojan Horse' that will carry drugs through the barrier.

The drug is a combination of reformulated aspirin and two additional ingredients, made in to a soluble form. Researchers reacted to the development saying that a 'true' liquid aspirin has always been a scientific goal. They also said that some 'soluble' aspirins in the market are not completely soluble and still has grains leaving patients to have gastric side effects.

The team has been performing a series of tests of IP1867B against glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive types of brain tumor which is the cause of thousands of mortality every year, with promising results, Science Alert reported.

Lab studies involve taking glioblastoma cells from different subjects, adults and children, with brain tumors and then exposing them to various formulations of IP1867B. Findings show that no matter how the three ingredients were applied or divided, researchers still found it to be 10 times more potent than any other combination currently available as treatments.

More importantly, the ingredients didn't have an effect on normal brain cells.

"This is a potential game-changer for research into brain tumors and clearly shows what sustainable research is able to achieve," said chief executive of the center, Sue Farrington Smith. "It is science like this that will enable us to eventually find a cure for this devastating disease which kills more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer," express.co.uk reported.

Dr. James Stuart, chief medical officer at Innovate Pharmaceuticals, said: 'IP1867B represents a major step forward in therapeutics. 'We are excited by the studies to date and hope that our future studies will prove this to be the breakthrough that patients have been waiting for,' he said.